Friends and memories since 1937. Over the course of Mäkelä’s nearly 90-year history, four generations of the Mäkelä family have served our customers. Learn more about our company’s history below!
Creating Experiences and Friendships Since 1937
Throughout Matka Mäkelä’s almost 90-year history, four generations of the Mäkelä family have served our customers. Learn more about our company’s history below!
ROOTS – Valdemar and Enne
The founder of Matka Mäkelä was Valdemar Mäkelä, a successful shopkeeper. After just few years in operation, both he and his buses were called to war. Two of his buses returned, though they were badly damaged. Valdemar himself fell at Taipaleenjoki during the Winter War.
After his death, the business was continued by Valdemar’s widow Enne Mäkelä, a mother of two young boys. Until the 1960s, the company experienced a period of strong growth. Finland was being rebuilt, people did not yet own cars, and public transportation surged in popularity. Our operations expanded through acquisitions all the way to the Häme Province.
Remarkably, Enne managed all of this without a driver’s license or any experience in vehicle maintenance.
SECOND GENERATION – Antero & Rauno
In the 1970s, the second generation, Antero and Rauno Mäkelä, took the helm of the company. Operations expanded. At its peak, the company employed over 60 people and operated 30 buses. The 1980s marked the beginning of a decline in bus transportation. People moved from rural areas to cities and bought their own cars, meaning public transport was no longer needed in the same way as before. Thanks to a strict cost-cutting program, we overcame this challenge. The strategy shifted toward focusing on charter services — a direction we continue to follow to this day.
THIRD GENERATION – Jukka & Tiina
In the early 1990s, the third generation — Jukka Mäkelä and Tiina Oksanen — assumed control. At the same time, Risto Mäkelä was also an owner of the company, although he was not involved in operational activities. With the rise of the internet, travel sales increasingly shifted online. Travel agencies were closing down, and we also refocused our operations. We decided to concentrate on group travel and our own production. We closed our brick-and-mortar offices and moved all our operations to a single location on Mäntymäentie — a change that also opened up new business opportunities for us.
FOURTH GENERATION – Matti, Nelli & Noora
In 2015, a generational transition began, and today the fourth generation — Matti Mäkelä, Nelli Oksanen, and Noora Mäkiaho — leads the company. They carry the business forward in their own way, while honoring the strong foundation built by previous generations and upholding the sustainable values that guide our operations. We currently employ around 40 industry professionals and operate more than 30 vehicles. Our strategy follows the path laid out by earlier generations, with charter services and our own tour production remaining at the forefront. Welcome aboard and join us for our smooth rides!
Kuulumme osaksi perheyritysten liittoa
In a family business, family, business, and ownership are intertwined.
Matka Mäkelä also fits the definition of a family business:
“At least one member of the same family or clan, or their legal representative, is involved in the company’s management or administration.”
The impact of family businesses on society is growing because owners develop their companies and expertise responsibly and with great passion. This is also how Matka Mäkelä operates. The Family Business Association is Mäkelä’s partner, and with its support, we can influence the social standing of family businesses.